TEHRAN, July 24: Iran is ready to engage in talks on its nuclear programme with the United States, provided Washington takes meaningful steps to rebuild trust. Iran is set to meet with Britain, France, and Germany, known as the E3 nations, and the European Union’s deputy foreign policy commissioner in Istanbul for the first talks since Iran’s 12-day war with Israel in June. To enter negotiations, Iran sought “several key principles” to be upheld, including rebuilding Iran’s trust, avoiding the use of talks as a platform for hidden agendas, respecting Iran’s rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, including enrichment in line with its legitimate needs, and lifting sanctions.
European leaders have threatened to trigger a “snapback” mechanism included in a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which would reimpose sanctions that were lifted in exchange for Iran accepting restrictions and monitoring of its nuclear programme. Iranian officials have warned that a move to reimpose sanctions would have consequences, potentially forcing Tehran to withdraw from key non-proliferation agreements.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the E3 of hypocrisy, saying they failed to uphold their obligations under the 2015 deal while supporting Israel’s recent strikes on Iran. Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said the country’s nuclear industry would recover from the recent attacks by Israel and the United States. (AP)
